The Key West Citizen Newspaper, December 23, 1939, Page 9

SATURDAY, DECEMBE How Other , Lands Mark” Christmas A melting pot of the world, Amer- Ica has created its Christmas traditions from countless customs brought across the seas from foreign lands. In these far-away places the Yuletide symbols of bygone ages still endure, Here are @ few of them: /ENGLAN Christmas to rural Englishmen but also a parting of n the old year and the new. Preparations are started for the next year’s farm work, which begins right after Christmas. Throughout the island such trap- pings as the holly and mistletoe re- main undying traditions, nor is any Christmas complete without the / log burning. On clear frosty ts the carol singers raise their 0 over the countryside. To many Englishmen’s despair, such American customs as the turkey din- ner are gaining a foothold. GERMANY: Two years ago storm troopers in Berlin lit bonfires in the public squares as a revival of the pagan custom of celebrating the winter solstice. But this distraction will not stop the Christmas-loving Ger- mans from decorating their trees in every town and village, and joining in the famed Christmas hymn, “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht.” ITALY: Most Italian families celebrate Christmas eve and spend the follow- ing day quietly in their homes. Here it is a feast more for grown-ups | than for children, whose merry- making day comes 12 days later, on January 6. On Christmas eve fami- By TOO LATE TO CLASSIFY Of all Christmas stories, one of the most delightful to my min is that of the’ “Fourth” Man. Down through the years story of the “Three Wise Men” has become familiar to all, but the fable of the “other” Wise Man is not so generally known, jyet it is a very beautiful story with a message of deep import to mankind. It seems that there were really FOUR instead of THREE Wise Men and upon receiving the won- derful message of the birth of the new King, it was agreed among} them that they would meet at} dawn of day and journey togeth- er to lay gifts at the feet of the Child of Bethlehem. On his way to the agreed meet- ing place, the "Fourth” Wise Man stopped by the wayside to give aid and comfort to one in need and in consequence he failed to join his friends on their long journey. So he went on alone, but as he traveled he men in grave need. With each of these he tarried and gave of the treasure he carried, that their suffering might be relieved. By the time he finally reached Judea, he found that Joseph and | Mary had fled with the Child to escape the wrath Herod. Through the years, he traveled on hoping to find the Christ, that he might lay at his feet the re- mainder of the gifts he possessed. But as he went from place to place, he continued to find fellow beings in grave trouble, the sick, Christ- of * |the blind and the poor. To all he _ that he might lay at Jesus feet.! gave generously of his treasure, a jewel here, a bit of gold there, | found himself until at last he | without a single material thing|using such awful language? Wise | |pass up no opportunity to show |i the | encountered fellow | |felt thanks for the countless bless- |ings that are ours. { We should look about us and our gratitude by sharing with: others and lending a helping hand } to those less fortunate than our- selves. Individually we cannot hope to overcome the ills of the world, } but in our own little sphere, we} can look to our neighbors and | | concern ourselves with their wel-! late Though our purse may be i empty, there is treasure greater | than gold, locked within the heart | of every man, treasure inexhaust- | ible, that can be drawn on with- | lout stint. Words of cheer, hope! and comfort. Miles and miles of sunng smiles that can warm many ja weary heart. Strong helping hands for little tasks that illness | jand dispair have made burden- |some to others. , And as we give, so we receive. There is no joy in life so great as that which naturally comes to us as we share our treasure with |those in greater need. As we ex- ciple we find that when we un- |selfishly concern ourselves with others, our own rewards and bless- jings multiply. | And sg it is my sincere hope jthat the story of the “Fourth” | Wise Man will bring to you the KEY to a more wonderful, joyous Christmas, for— |The FOURTH Wise Man, it seems | to me, | Was wiser than the other THREE. HIS PROPER PLACE Judge—And what did you do when you heard the accused} Policeman—I told him he} Empty-handed he found the Mas- | iwasn’t fit to be among decent | THE KEY WEST CITIZEN ‘No, ‘This Isn’t Santa, Kiddies ercise this age-old loving prin- |’ ee = Just a few of the boys entering inte the festive spirit. Top to bot» tom: Eddie Cantor (couldn’t you | sa ‘Jap Villae _ They OKYO.—Peasants in a remote northern Japanese village do not | celebrate Christmas but they believe | Jesus Christ died in Japan. | ‘Nor are they Christians, but each | year they kneel before a strange eS which they believe is Christ’s | burial place. | This takes place at the village of | Herai where Buddhists or Shintoists gather each year around a mound locking triangles, like the Hebrew emblem. How this strange tradition arrived | fp of Honshu island, is no Breat distance south of Mount Yadaijin, which is pronounced almost like the modern Japanese word for “Jew.” The six-pointed star is completely foreign to the people, yet some peas- ; ants are familiar with the Biblical version of Christ’s death. The Ao- morian story, which they have be- lieved for 20 centuries, is ‘this: ~ During the reign of the Emperor Suinin, the eleventh emperor, a young white man came to live in the district. Twelve years later, at the age of 34, he disappeared. His name: Soraitaro. Fifteen years later he returned | and told the people he had been ‘to the land of his birth teaching reli- gion and that, because of his beliefs, had been sentenced to death by cru- cifixion. | Soraitaro is then said to have told GRIEF CAUSES SUICIDE |the accidental killing of a young 0. \triend while hunting deef caused rs Kneel at Mound © Il Christ’ = Burial Place the natives that his younger broth- | er, Iskirl, sacrificed his own life | on the cross. Then he traveled for | four years; across Europe and through Siberia. © Finally reaching Aomori again, he died at the age of 105 inthe eleventh year of Keiko | ‘Tenno's reign. Near the alleged burial mound is | the ruin of a stone building which | panies call ‘‘Tsukino-Tatte,” the House of the Moon. Many ‘foreign | articles are reported to have been | unearthed from ‘this place. People | say it is the place where Jesus wor- shiped. They do not worship His memory | in a religious way, nor is the mound sapeel sacréd. They describe esus as a “‘Sei-jin,” a saint or wise = William Weise to kill himself later. IN | DUBOIS, Pa.—Grief caused by |with the same gun several days! With BEST WISHES To All Our Friends and Clientele and the Entire City In General PAGE NINE RAMONIN’S RESTAURANT A Merry Christmas To Key Westers and All Our Tourist Friends Al Come in and try our DELICIOUS CHRISTMAS DINNER or one of our SPECIAL E SPANISH DINNERS 615 Duval Street Key West. Fla. Best Wishes ———from—— FAUSTO’S GROCERY AND MARKET 600 FLEMING STREET PHONE 48 Fae -¢ PI PPOOCLLLL LLL COL \ BUSY BEE BAKERY The Home Of The BUSY BEE LOAF N \ . A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU: ALL 900 Francis Street Phone 120 | SOP PP OPMORML MORE SEM. i 'lter with nothing to offer other|people and brought him here. 813 CAROLINE STREET PHONE 68 recognize\those eyes?); Jimmy Du- | IN ITALY—Children of the Italian Alps at Christmas Time, praying before a wayside shrine. hes gather around the “ceppo” or es. Atnine p. m. or big supper, at t which no meat may be served. ought not by Santa ugly witch whose Exch Christms day, which in Fr family d fts comes not on | on New Year's ice is the big for reunions of cousins, aunts meles. Santa Claus is “Pe! who leaves his gifts in wooden shoes. Christmas eve is not sp t home but in revelry and feasting BELGIUM: Neither Santa Claus nor Pere Noel visit children here—but St. Nicholas makes the rounds, surprisingly, on December 6! A quaint Belgian cus- tom is the putting up the chimney of a few carrots for the little donkey on which St. Nicholas makes his visits. RUSSIA: This anti-Christian nation forbids celebration of the Yuletide but no Jonger compels foreign residents to | import their own Christmas trees. Making an about-face, the Soviet | government uses this emblem of d for its New Year’s cele- tions when Dadja Moroz, or Un- | cle Frost, appears with gifts for | good children. POLAND: This Christmas celebration lasts until February 2 and is preceded | by fasting which is not broken until the first star appears on Christmas | eve. In all homes the tablecloth is placed over a layer of fragrant hay in commemoration of the manger. HUNGARY: St. Nicholas leaves boxes of peat for children early in December, aft- er which the youngsters must be on | their good behavior. They write let- ters to the angels, who, they be- | lieve, bring the presents. If they | find bits of tinsel on the floor, they claim this is angel’s hair and proof that the angels are everywhere, ob- | .. serving which boys and girls are | good. HOLY LAND: Where it all began nearly 20 cen- || turies ago, worshipers reverently hail each Christmas at the church of Nativity which is built over Christ’s traditional birthplace. It has remained unchanged more than 1,500 years. There pilgrims gather from all over the world to intone | “Glory to the New-Born King.” Subseribe io The Citizen—20e| weekly. than the greatest gift of all—a | record of unselfish, helpful serv- ice to his fellow men. And in this world today, there is a greater need for “Fourth” ise Men than ever before. While it is proper and ‘fitting for those whose means permit to be gen- erous with material gifts, money, | food, clothing and similar ae equally great and just as import- | ant are the little acts of thought-| ful kindness, the cheerful en-! couraging word, the helping hand | and sympathetic heart. Gifts of | the Spirit that possess power for | good beyond all things material. | We in America today should} truly appreciate the glorious spirit of Christmas and give heart- Next Year’s Yule Cards Already Being Designed Workers on Christmas cards carry on steadily all through the year. The artists who draw them have al- | ready produced their designs for the 1940-41 season, and as goon as the holidays are over the printer will begin work on those cards. One big firm in England has 500 men and women employed in the produc. tion of these cards, sometimes with | calendars added. Tyrolian Village Folk Have Odd Yule Rites VIENNA.—Simple-minded, ‘devout folk of the Tyrol have grotesque Christmas customs. At Inmsbruck, for instance, they celebrate the Lord’s birthday by wearing masks | of animals. In another section the | Christmas tree is carved out of wood and elaborately decorated, A third extraordinary custo is the | wearing of towering héadpicces which are brought out only on the December holiday. KEY WEST Furniture | Best Season’s Greetings To Pee REE A Merry Christmas To Ail And A Happy New Year pac Webel 418 Front St. Phone 840 i VOICE OF EXPERIENCE { Wife( turning from squalling | kids)—Well, how is novel coming? Husband—Fine! The hero just proposing to the girl. Wife—Well, tell her to say no.| your new | is | | LA CONCHA || BEAUTY SALON Christmas or To All My Friends and Patrons Oe La Concha Hotel Bldg. “PHONE 128 Thomasine Miller, Proprietor —SINGLETON— MACHINE SHOP Sincere Holiday Greetings To All eR ¢, US End of Greene St. Phone "i | ; 1 iI A. LUCIGNANI Key West Cigar Manufacturer ' pee MERRY CHRISTMAS and a iW | {! i i i a {| rante (you couldn’t miss that beak), and Boris Karloff, shudder mer. | chant of the films. Kozy Grill Restaurant ThaiiRing all our friends and customers for their patronage and wishing you all A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR Serving the best American and Spanish Meals. Come in and be convinced. | | Specializing in Cuban Sand- wiches, Bollos, Chili and Enchilados HARD and SOFT DRINKS 1011 Division St. Key West NATIONAL PLUMBING || COMPANY Our Best Wishes Are For You At This Happy Season Of The Year pn ee Phone 581 Key West, Fla. | PENINSULAR LIFE INSURANCE. CO. Oldest Insurance Company Incorporated Under Florida State Laws GRE ane BEST WISHES TO ALL Sey, ely ML SWEETING Manager Phone 63-3 Sincere Wish For Christmas and A Joyoys, Happy New Year To Everyone PAUL LUMLEY 510 FLEMING STREET PHONE 411 KEY WEST DRUG COMPANY Key West's Oldest Brag Store Pe ual way For 36 Years at Simonton and Fleming Sts. ERA IES Saal TELEPHONE 40 < PPP P De lee iatelsitaeas Chester Tift’s Dairy HAPPY CHRISTMAS GREETINGS with Best Wishes for a HEALTHY and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR to You All LOPE IS IMI MM: 1414 FIFTH STREET Ce —GOTIESITS. PHONE 639 N) IN IN iN Ne iN WN N y N iN N ie N \) ae Farewell been so kind. PO PPEPLLL 22 our warmest wishes — We appreciate the hi; with our patrons during look forwand te the New ¥ear with its op- portunity to serve’again those who have | ae | eg POPP POO PPPOE to 1959 \ 7 past year orneteriens We thank you one and all and extend for your ‘happiness during Christmas and the New Year. Gates Tin Shop Phone 697-W : Sincere Wishes For A Real erry Christmas Prosperous Happy New Year To you, without whose friendship and cooperation our ‘pusiness relations would have been less pleasant, we sincerely extend the most cordial greetings of the season. ————<— I May the beauty and joy of life be yours, may your troubles and hardships be forgotten, may the happy spirit of Christ- mas be with you in ever increasing abund- ance throughout a joyous 1940. These are the sincere wishes of this firm for all our friends. Benjamin Lopez Funeral Home Phone 135 Night 696-W a | re Vee hes eee Ob kh hh hh hadakdkdidid dé. ern